Kogury style
The Kogury style refers to the distinctive cultural and architectural characteristics of the ancient Kogury kingdom, which flourished during the Iron Age in what is now northeastern Korea. Established before the common era, Kogury emerged from a confederation of warrior tribes and became known for its horse-riding pastoralists and skilled martial practices, including archery and wrestling. The kingdom was defined by its strategic military architecture, featuring over one hundred mountain fortresses built to withstand constant warfare, typically enclosed by natural cliffs and robust stone walls.
In terms of burial practices, the Kogury elite were interred in tumuli adorned with intricate murals that represented various earthly scenes, abstract motifs, and figures from Daoist tradition, reflecting the culture's spiritual beliefs. Additionally, they constructed large stone tomb mounds, known as Jucksukchong, which showcased impressive engineering with their pyramid-like structures. The Kogury Dynasty ultimately fell in 668 CE due to the combined military efforts of the Tang Dynasty from China and the Silla Dynasty from Korea, marking the end of a significant and influential era in Korean history. This rich cultural heritage continues to be a subject of interest for those exploring the historical foundations of Korea.
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Kogury style
Related civilization: Korea.
Date: dynasty traditionally founded 37 b.c.e., destroyed 668 c.e.
Locale: Manchuria and northern Korea
Kogury Style
The Iron Age Kogury (koh-goor-yoh) kingdom of ancient Korea, located near the middle reaches of the Aprok and Hun Rivers, emerged before the common era from a confederation of five feudal chiefs of warlike peoples related to Ye, Mac, or Ye-Mac. The Kogury Dynasty ruled a land of horse-riding pastoralists and dry farmers renowned for bravery, toughness, and their prowess in hunting, archery, wrestling, and the martial art called subāk.
Constant warfare with surrounding peoples forced the Kogury Dynasty to construct more than one hundred mountain fortresses. Typically, fortresses were enclosed on three sides by high mountain walls or cliffs and fronted on the fourth by a large stone wall. This pattern is also called the korobong style.
The Kogury buried their elite in tumuli decorated with beautiful painted murals depicting earthly pursuits, abstract designs, and Daoist hermits with supernatural powers. They also constructed Jucksukchong, large, square-based, often pyramidally shaped, stone tomb mounds that ranged from 98 to 197 feet (30 to 60 meters) per side and reached heights of 66 to 98 feet (20 to 30 meters).
The Kogury Dynasty was destroyed in 668 c.e. by the allied forces of the Chinese Tang (618-907 c.e.) and Korean Silla (57 b.c.e.-935 c.e.) Dynasties.
Bibliography
Choi, Moo-Jang. Koguryo Archaeology I, II. Seoul, Korea: Minumsa, 1995.
Nho, Tae-Don. The Study of Koguryo History. Seoul, Korea: Sagyejul, 1999.